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Hayden — Hayden Middle School is getting along fine without the use of its gym, for now, Principal Gina Zabel said Thursday.

Favorable weather, creative solutions and lack of conflicts with Hayden High School for shared use of its gym have allowed the middle school to have activities inside. Those include physical education classes, indoor athletic practices and the after-lunch break period for students.

The middle school gym was condemned this summer because it required substantial repairs the district couldn't afford.

Zabel said the biggest issue so far has been shifting staff duties for supervising the after-lunch break period, which allows its 98 students 10 to 15 minutes to burn off steam before returning to classes. Students spend that break outside now but spent it in the middle school gym during winter in past years.

"It's not a huge issue for us yet," she said. "It will be a challenge when the weather hits. Until then, it's just fine."

When the snow does start to fall, Zabel said, those challenges include finding space for indoor recess and athletic practices, which they've been able to hold outside so far this school year.

The middle school, which used the high school gym for some physical education classes in the past, now shares it for all classes, which has worked out so far, Zabel said. But she said as more activities for the middle and high school are scheduled at the same time, creative solutions would be necessary.

"It's been OK," Superintendent Greg Rockhold said Thursday. "It has not been optimal."

Repair estimates

The state fire marshal condemned the gym after an inspection that deemed it unsafe in late June, Rockhold said. It wouldn't be opened for use until after it was repaired and a subsequent inspection had taken place.

The district contacted Studer Engineering, of Steamboat Springs, in July. The initial report prepared by Luke Studer indicated that the gym, which was built in 1947, needed only minor repairs.

"We believe the areas of concern can be stabilized to maintain stability and safety for the near term (for a few years) in a manner that would not be expensive but also would not be cosmetically pleasing," the report stated.

Rockhold said he thought the district would be able to afford those repairs, which were estimated at $5,000 to $10,000. However, a subsequent study by Studer indicated that the repairs were far more extensive than initially estimated.

It recommended repairs including reinforcing the gym with a steel frame, reinforcing the deteriorating south masonry wall with concrete pillars, replacing doors and windows and shoring up the foundation. The estimated cost was $20,000 to $30,000, which Rockhold said at the time the district couldn't afford.

The Hayden School Board in August asked Rockhold to solicit bids for the gym's repair and its demolition. It received a more than $151,000 repair bid and a nearly $80,000 demolition bid from one company. Steamboat-based Environmental Resource Group submitted a $45,000 demolition bid.

When the board received the bids in September, high school Principal Troy Zabel said the repair cost was so high because the gym required asbestos removal, which was expensive and limited the companies that could do the project.

"The building has outlived its life," Rockhold said.

Possible funding sources

Rockhold said the district was pursuing a few alternatives for repairing and demolishing the gym. He approached the School Board about giving a presentation about a bond issue. But board members, especially Kurt Frentress and President Brian Hoza, didn't think that was a good idea.

"I think the challenge right now is it's not a good time to talk about bond issues and going to the community for resources," Hoza said. Hoza added that a bond issue for upgrading, remodeling or expanding the gym could be three years down the road.

He said the problem was that preparing a bond issue requires significant time, resources and planning. Hoza said he understood and appreciated Rockhold's trying to prepare the district for the future but said it wasn't the right time to have those conversations.

Gina Zabel said a parent approached her and offered her business's grant writer, who could pursue funding to repair the gym. Zabel said she passed the bid information that was presented to the School Board in September to the parent and was waiting to hear back.

Another possibility for the Hayden School District is the Education Fund Board. Steamboat voters approved a ballot measure last fall that would allow Hayden and South Routt school districts to make Fund Board requests. Both districts received Fund Board gifts last year.

Troy Zabel said Thursday that the district's Fund Board committee met earlier in the week. He said the group was trying to prioritize the district's needs, which in addition to the gym include technology upgrades. Zabel said after figuring out what the district needs most, the committee will draft a formal request for submission to the Fund Board in January.

"I don't think we can say the middle school gym is our priority right now," he said. "It could be. We don't know because we haven't prioritized yet."